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Firstly sorry for the confusion, someone was pulling my plonker by telling me Bale wasn’t playing which made me angry.

The Tottenham team is somewhat as expected, Gomes starts in goal, Hutton keeps his place at right back, Kaboul and Gallas pair up in central defence with BAE on the left. Lennon starts on the right wing with Bale on the left, Modric and Jenas are in the middle with Rafael Van der Vaart just in front and a surprise inclusion up front as Robbie Keane plays the loan striker.

As always you can watch this in the forum, click the link at the bottom of the article and log in.

Wouldn’t a win at Old Trafford please us all in this weekend’s big match, It’s a fixture that usually means misery for Spurs, I don’t think we have ever won at Old Trafford in the Premiership but now is as good of a time as any with United not really hitting top gear yet this season and the gap between the two teams seemingly closing.

Spurs boast one of the richest midfields in the Premiership with Redknapp having talent at his disposal which Sir Alex would like to get his hands on. Although United are still a strong side they are not as daunting to play against as the Champions League winning side a few years back which included Christiano Ronaldo.

Team News

Man Utd

Sir Alex is likely to stick with Hernandex in attack after his double last weekend away to Stoke which impressed the United boss and will ensure the Mexican keeps his place in the starting XI. Berbatov will be the obvious choice to partner Hernandez in attack, facing his former side.

Ryan Giggs is still out with a hamstring injury and the mean that has made all the headlines Wayne Rooney is still out with an Ankle injury which will see Spurs fancy their chances.

Spurs

Ledley King is improving after suffering a groin injury and may make a return soon although it won’t be for this one. Gallas and Kaboul started the last fixture and may do so again tomorrow although Bassong could be in the running for a place.

Wilson Palacios may start in midfield as Tom Huddlestone has failed to shake of his injury although he may make a return for the Inter Milan game on Tuesday night in the Champions League. Rafael Van der Vaart will start and will probably play the role of supporting the front man, whether that be Crouch of Pav we will have to wait and see.

If Spurs had a fully fit side I would be confident we can do something tomorrow, although still hopeful our injury list might mean that this proves one test too much for us although I hope I am wrong.

It’s a major double boost for Spurs, Michael Dawson and Jermain Defoe are expected to be back in action for Tottenham next months after both being out since being injured on England duty early on in the season.

Michael Dawson was initially ruled out for between 6-8 weeks and that is roughly the time it has taken for him to recover from his ligament damage to his left knee so far. Defoe however was not expected to play again before Christmas but the striker has said of his progress and is targeting a return in November against Arsenal.

While Defoe’s recovery period has gone better than expected Michael Dawson although expects to be back in training next months may not be available until nearer the end of the month or even December if his recovery doesn’t go to plan. Recovering from ligament damage is never straight forward and it is hard to judge exactly how long it can keep a player sidelined and we all saw Dawson’s injury for England and we knew straight away it was never going to be anything other than a lengthy lay off.

It will be a major boost for Harry to have both players back in action, Spurs have done well to maintain a top four push whilst struggling to cope with an injury crisis up front and at the back, Spurs have used more centre back partnering than anyone else this season, even Tom Huddlestone has had a go at it. So with both players still a while off a return there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Tottenham shot stopper Heurelho Gomes has tipped the club to go on a strong run in the Champions League this season. Spurs are well placed in their group on 4 points from 2 games but face two tough games away and at home to holders Inter Milan.

Gomes was interviewed by ‘Champions’ the official magazine of the Champions League and said:

“I am an optimist. When I joined Spurs, I said my goal was to win the Premier League. People laughed, but that’s how I am. If we make the knockout stages, anything could happen.”

The 29-year-old was also asked how the squad at Spurs compares to the one at PSV five years ago.

“It’s tricky to compare, but maybe you can point to the absence of superstars and the presence of young players willing to work their socks off. That PSV side, for example, had only Phillip Cocu as a famous name, but the other players showed that no team would walk over us. I see the same spirit at Spurs and hope we can emulate 2004-05. We have a group that is growing together at the same time and individuals who are making progress. Gareth Bale, for example, is coming along really well.”

Spurs are playing in their debut season in the Champions League and started with a 2-2 draw away to Werder Bremen followed by a 4-1 demolition of FC Twente at home. Next week will see the team travel to the San Siro to face champions Inter Milan and Gomes is full of confidence that Tottenham can pull off a shock.

Inter Milan and former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari’s time at Inter looks to be coming to an end, fueling speculation that Harry Redknapp is waiting to pounce with an offer for his former player in January. Harry had Muntari under his wings during his Portsmouth days and is a big fan of the player.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims his adventure in Milan has already been signed off after he stormed out of San Siro during Inter’s derby d’Italia against Juventus on Sunday.

Clearly unhappy at his latest exclusion from the matchday squad, Muntari took his protests far, and rather than obey orders to sit in the stands, he left altogether – a sign he no longer wants to be involved with the club. Under Mourinho Muntari was a prominent figure and a vital part of the treble winning Inter team but Rafa Benitez has no plans for the midfielder. His career at Inter seems to be all but over and early indications in Italy show that Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp is waiting in the wings.

Spurs now play Inter back to back in the Champions League over the coming weeks and talks could be set to begin as early as then, should a deal be reached in January then expect to see Wilson Palacios shipped out of White Hart Lane.

Now I know a lot of people will be raving about Rafel Van der Vaart after the week he has had but is he already a God with us Spurs fans? Yesterday against Villa he won us the match, he was inspirational against FC Twente on Wednesday also. Van der Vaart has now scored in each of his three home matches for Spurs.

I followed this guy since he was at Ajax and I was hoping we would get him when he was in his early twenty’s but he rather surprisingly went to Hamburg. There is no doubt in my mind that Van der Vaart will be the signing of the season, when he was at Hamburg in Germany he was top scorer for his club three seasons in a row which goes to show the goal scoring ability he has, he also captained the German club which shows he is also a leader.

First time I saw this Rafael in action was when he was a youngster, I went on a stag weekend to Amsterdam and we went to an Ajax game and he was head and shoulders above the rest of the players on the pitch. I was shocked when no big European club took him off of Ajax, he would have been a great signing for Liverpool, United, Arsenal and Chelsea back then but nobody would gamble on him. Their cautiousness is now our gain, we have one of the best attacking midfielders in world football.

Van der Vaart is so good when it comes to reading the game, he gets himself in the right positions to create chances. His vision is second to none and along with that he nine times out of ten picks the right option for a pass, whether it be a simple pass or a final defence splitting pass. He has qualities that come instinctively, qualities that you can’t coach players. The last time Tottenham had a player who had a top top football brain was Teddy Sheringham and Van der Vaart isn’t too far off.

Tottenham have got a real bargain, £8 million wouldn’t even buy his right leg if I was his manager and why Real Madrid wanted to get rid of him especially at that price I will never know. Now he is at Tottenham I am sure he will become a hero and be adored by all the fans, there were a few skeptics who didn’t know much about him but I have never seen a player change the opinion of so many in such a short space of time. He will add the goals that we have been missing for years, he will be our Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes.

Let’s just hope we keep him fit, Van der Vaart loves playing football and we love watching him play. I hope he is loyal and doesn’t do a Berbatov on us, that is why I believe it is more important than ever that we finish in the top four again so we can hold on to players like Van der Vaart, Modric and Bale because I fear if we don’t , Man Utd and Chelsea will come knocking.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the the man himself Rafel Van der Vaart.

Just watching Football Focus and ex Spurs Chairman Alan Sugar was a guest on the show, he was asked several questions about Tottenham and one point they touched on was Spurs new stadium plans.

When asked about Spurs redevloping White Hart Lane or moving to the Olympic Stadium he said that by bidding for both that Spurs were merely just “keeping their options open”. Lord Sugar also explained how the Olympic Stadium is not being designed currently with football in mind and after the Olympic Games should a football club take the stadium over it will require a lot of work itself.

Sugar also told of how he enjoyed his time at Spurs but wished he kept his mouth shut a bit more sometimes, saying how he made too many comments without considering the conequences purely because he was angry and frustrated, the Jurgen Klinsmann saga is a classic example.

It was clear that Sugar clearly still has Spurs in his heart always referring to Spurs as “we”. Sugar went on to praise Daniel Levy and in particular Harry Redknapp by saying he is one of the best managers about and knows the Premiership as well as anybody. He touched on how good it is to see Spurs finally playing Champions League football but also pointed out the danger of Champions League hangovers. The final point he made was that like Daniel Levy a top football club needs to be run by a business man and not a fan. Football is a business and the books need to be balanced and that requires someone with the ability to handle such pressure Sugar added.

Was good to see the ex Spurs chairman talking of football once again and good to know he still loves Spurs, all in all he wasn’t the worst chairman and wasn’t afraid to splash some cash.

It was great to see Heurelho back for us in the Champions League this week and you could see the confidence oozing throughout the back four. Gomes had been out for the last month through a groin injury and we have really missed him in my opinion. Some people never quite understand just how big of an influence and important it is having a keeper that the defenders are confident in. Whether or not his judgment is always right, the important thing is that he is confident enough to come for every cross and this confidence passes through the rest of the team.

Although Carlo Cudicini had provided cover and made some good saves during this period, there’s nothing like having the club’s number one fit again. King, Hutton, BAE and Bassong all looked so much more comfortable at the back last night know that they had the big man behind them. As someone that has played football all my life I know how much it improves my game having a solid keeper behind me to rely on should I need him. The Tottenham back four and Midfield will now not be as cautious at the back and will not be afraid to push on and attack meaning we won’t have to play as deep.

Gomes has shaken off his reputation of being a calamity after a bad start to his Tottenham career which saw Harry Redknapp losing his patience with the Brazilian to become one of the Premiership’s top goalkeepers. Without a keeper like Gomes in goal last season I don’t think we would even be playing Champions League football this season, that’s not to say I am taking anything away from the rest of the team. Gomes stood big last night to make one good save of note and although didn’t really have much to do last night don’t underestimate the influence his sheer presence had on the rest of the team. We started the season by battering Manchester City but not managing to break them down, and who was in goal for that game? Gomes! Since he has been out injured you could see how the team looked a bit more nervous and didn’t play with freedom and confidence. Trust me now we have the big man back in between the sticks I think we will be seeing a better free flowing Tottenham and they will prove me right by destroying Villa this weekend. To back up my point you only have to look at what happend to Newcastle as soon as they sold Shay Given.

Article from http://triffictottenham.co.uk
Today Rafael Van der Vaart met his new team mates for his first training session with the lads. Van der Vaart signed on deadline day for around £8million in what was considered a bargain buy by many. He has vented his frustration at being sub for Holland so will Harry give him the same treatment or chuck him straight into the mix on Saturday, a player with Van der Vaart’s experience and ability shouldn’t need time to adjust.

I for one can’t wait to see him play, I would love to see him start on Saturday but he may be on the bench, I am sure he will play some part as Harry will want him to play against Werder Bremen on Tuesday so getting some minutes in a Spurs shirt before hand would help.

Van der Vaart and Harry posing for the camera with his new Spurs shirt. Harry looks proud to have captured a player of real quality, he has never been able to sign players of this stature at his previous clubs.

Van der Vaart gets down the business with his first training session, god knows what Crouchy is playing at in the background but Rafael doesn’t look impressed by his antics.

The international break ended last night with PL club managers looking on with anxious eyes. Harry Redknapp and Spurs fans alike must have been fearing the worst when they saw Jermain Defoe lying centre circle in a heap and later leaving the field on a stretcher.

As if to add to the torment, there was no further mention or any update regarding the injury and left most of us scratching our heads and wondering if we had imagined it all? After match reports repeatedly referring to the Theo Walcott injury were being periodically updated yet the omission of any reference to Defoe ‘s situation was glaringly inexplicable.

Thankfully this morning the smiling face of Jermain appeared on our screens with a look that seemed to be saying ‘whats the problem’? But the 27-year-old is confident he will have regained full fitness in time for the trip to the Hawthorns.

When asked whether he would be available for the weekend’s encounter, Defoe replied: “Yeah, definitely. I hope so. (ok gotcha, you maybe you maybe not?)

“I jarred my ankle or my knee but it feels alright.

“I’ve always said I’ll do my best to make sure I’m out there.

“I’ve just got to rest it (the injury). I’ll just keep icing it and I’m sure I’ll be ok.

Defoe was satisfied with England’s performance in Switzerland as they followed up Friday’s 4-0 triumph over Bulgaria at Wembley

“I think the movement in the first half was maybe better than the previous game,” he added. “We did really well, the manager was really happy.

“The energy again was good. In the second half they blew up a bit in the first ten minutes but overall I think we were the better side.

Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has heaped praise on team-mate, Crouch, who was forced to pull out of the England squad with a back injury, says he was pleased for Defoe and built up his club-mate’s ability.

He told his Spurs’ official website: “It’s fantastic for Jermain and he took his goals really well. I was really pleased for him.

“I thought the movement for all his goals was fantastic, the way he took defenders away and made space for himself. He looked really sharp. Yeah ok, he didn’t get a goal against the Swiss but his movement and link play with Wayne was excellent in the first half.

“I’ve played with him a lot and he’s going to get goals whenever he plays. He’s so sharp around the box and with that kind of movement England have, the players will find him and create the chances.

“As strikers, we all benefit from that.”

Luckily we’ve got the extra day for all our returnees to recover in time for our visit to the Hawthorns so come Friday we will have a better idea who is available for selection, keep icing it Jermain.

The transfer window has hardly had time to mist up before the latest rumour hits the surface and it involves our very own Jermain Defoe. Sources in Italy are circulating rumours suggesting Juventus intend making a move for our pocket rocket come January.

Defoe, 27, is on the Italian club’s radar as he continues to impress for both Spurs and England. The hit-man’s hat-trick against Bulgaria at Wembley last week — after previously scoring twice in the second leg of Spurs’ crucial Champions League play-off game against Young Boys — has seen his stock rise sharply around Europe, and he could be the answer for Juventus, who have been looking at signing a striker.

La Vecchia Signora are said to be keeping the spotlight firmly on Defoe, whose contract with Spurs expires in 2014.

A January transfer could arise, but the Bianconeri would have to offer the Premier League outfit at least €16 million (£13.3m) to garner attention and overcome Tottenham’s likely resistance to a sale.

The Old Lady added Jorge Martinez and Fabio Quagliarella to their forward ranks this summer, but Luigi Del Neri is looking for the pace and shoot-on-sight instincts Defoe offers, reports Tuttosport.﻿

What a week for Defoe, hat trick for England, being compared to David Villa of Spain by Ian Wright (thats what friends are for) and now apparently on Juve’s wanted list. Although Defoe is known to happy at White Hart Lane after his reunion with Harry Redknapp and Spurs, Juve will remain hopeful that their status as one of the biggest clubs in Europe might persuade the 27-year old to make a move.

Defoe added goals 13, 14 and 15 to his tally on Friday night in his 44th appearance. Defoe is one of the most prolific scorers within the English Premier League and has scored 29 in 50 starts and 7 substitute appearances since his return to White Hart Lane after scoring 17 in 34 starts and 2 appearances off the bench with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.

Could the desire be there to now prove himself on the continent whilst in his prime? Following the World Cup there was a belief England player’s experience and effectiveness is limited to the Premier League. Defoe could be the first player to make a leap from the safety of the Premier League into the uncertainty of Europe for some time. We as a nation import many players but very rarely export. Is this because we over price them, or is it simply we have something in our make up which is fatally flawed?

However this plays out, we as a club must make sure any deal benefits all parties with the emphasis on the fee involved sufficient to enable the financing of a suitable replacement.